11 October 2024 Looks like an uncared for big old Victorian, but it’s actually an uncared for Victorian Revival from the 80s or 90s, the big windows and plain bricks on the side give it away. It’s in Allison Road, Elsternwick, and there’s two others nearby. And one real Victorian, very nice. And one that’s … Continue reading Not so old →

10 October 2024 Prompted by the death of architect Graeme Gunn, Ive got some 2008 photos of the concretey delight of his 1971 Plumbers & Gasfitters Union, located right next to Trades Hall on Victoria Street (behind a pesky tree), plus pics 3,4 from 1971. It’s got all that chunky angular raw now streaky concrete … Continue reading Brutal beauty: Plumbers & Gasfitters Union →

10 October 2014 Repost 2014: Carlton Courthouse #1887 designed by #GBHAustin of the #publicworksdepartment, a lovely stylish bit of #gothicrevival. Sort of in prominent location on #drummondstreet off Elgin rather than on a main street, but it was opposite the police station, also still there. Now one of the two @lamamatheatre venues, the big courtroom … Continue reading Carlton Courthouse →

8 October 2019 I poo-pooed the #greening of the city’s #laneways as unnecessary and maybe detracting from their gritty urban quality, but actually it’s quite nice, and it’s still gritty. This is #GuildfordLane, the once unknown now totally hip laneway off queen st. Update 2024: The first 4 pics are recent, borrowed from Facebook, showing … Continue reading Greening Guildford Lane →

7 October 2024 What we’re looking at here might be basically 1843, under the 1920s roughcast, which makes it pretty bloody early for Melbourne ! (with the slight possibility that the multi pane windows are original too). This is the corner of Acland and St Leonards Ave in St Kilda, where solicitor David Ogilvy built … Continue reading St Kilda, very early, well disguised →

5 October 2024: The old School of National Philosophy extension at Melbourne Uni is in a very interesting style that’s broadly Art Deco but the diagonal verticals lend a suitably Gothic flavour, all in cream brick laid in a variety of ways. Designed by Percy Everett, chief of the PWD, just about everything he did … Continue reading Natural Philosophy is Gothic, naturally →

5 October 2014: #modernism and #gumtrees at the #baillieulibrary at #melbourneuniversity, a very long facade of rather typical curtain wall, but impressive. Designed by the office of JD Scarborough, it was actually built in two stages, with the southern part completed 1959, which has nice double height spaces and an interesting 1/2 spiral stair; the … Continue reading Baillieu Library →

4 October 2024 There was a fuss on St Kilda Facebook pages about this elec box plonked right in front of the Palais, so local artist Colin Shepard saved the day by painting it (a bit daggy pseudo art deco though), which looks a bit better, though it’s not exactly on axis anyway. No idea … Continue reading Palias forecourt →

4 October 2015: Ignore the big ad and cluttered shop windows and you can see an interesting little shop/offices from c1971, half behind a tree in Elizabeth Street opposite the GPO. Lots of detail when you stop to look, like projecting first floor display window, which leans out, with inset corners and tiled edges to … Continue reading In Orbit →

3 October 2013: The mail was once Royal. Double #postbox, I think the only one like it in #victoria. 1920s. Outside the town hall, #swanstonstreet. Update : I wrote an article on ‘Pillar Post Boxes’ for the @nationaltrustvic in 2000, noting there were only about 200 left, many disused, and Australia Post had a policy … Continue reading Post box, double →